Out of the Ordinary
by KayDrew
Summary: Max goes to work at the UFO Center, but something is terribly wrong. Being fired, Max leaves, a month later he recieves a letter which Max never expects. Please R&R!


Part I

Max Evans walked into the UFO Center, where he worked. He only made it into the entrance before stopping. There were boxes everywhere and many of the pieces in the museum were off the wall or on the floor. As Max looked around the haphazard looking UFO Center, he raised his eyebrow in confusion. "Brody," Max called.

His red-haired, British boss came over to him. "Max, what are you doing here? Didn't your sister, Isabel, give you my message," Brody asked. He looked at Max, but not in the face. "Judging by the look, she didn't."

Max smiled slightly and shook his head. "No, she didn't. What are you doing? Are we changing exhibits," he asked as he put his hands in his back pockets.

"No. I'm closing the Center up," Brody said, "I was going to mail this to you, but, since you're here, here's your pay."

Max took the envelope Brody held out. "Do you need help packing everything up," Max asked. He tried to look Brody in the face, but the man would not let him focus. "Are you OK? You look pale."

"I'm fine," he said sharply, "Go Zan. We don't need your help."

Max backed away. Worry was in his eyes. He turned and left the center without saying a word. Happing into his jeep, Max called Isabel. "Iz, we need to meet now. I'll be at Michaels," he said when she picked up. He hung up and called Maria, Alex, Michael, Tess, Nasedo Liz and finally Kyle. Getting into the drivers side, Max quickly drove to Michael's apartment. Liz and Maria were both there. They had apparently come from the Crashdown because both wore their teal waitressing uniforms. As soon as Max pulled up, Tess and Nasedo, along with Kyle pulled into the parking lot – soon followed by Alex.

When they had all piled into the cramped apartment, Maria was the first to ask what was going on. "You really sounded freaked, Max. What could be so bad," she asked.

Max took a deep breath. "Something's wrong with Brody. He has closed the UFO Center. Most of the exhibits have been taken down from the wall or disassembled," Max explained, "He even fired me. There's more." Max stared at Michael. There was an irritated glint in the rebel alien's eye. "When I left, he called me Zan. I thought only Larek knew who I was in my last life…who we all were."

"Zan, Maxwell, was there a different tone in Mr. Davis' voice? If I recall, every time he has been possessed by your other protector, Larek, he becomes different," Nasedo asked. His voice was even and cool as well as calm.

Max nodded as he thought. "Yeah, it was sharp," he said simply.

Satisfied, Nasedo stood. Glancing at Tess, he nodded for her to stand. "If that is all, I'll be seeing you around. I do not think you have anything to worry about," he said. The balding man went to the door with Tess at his heels. She looked behind her and smiled at Max. Then the two left.

"Really, Maxwell, is that all you had to say? Why couldn't it have waited," Michael snapped as Max left feeling very uneasy.

Part II

Days passed and then weeks. As November ended and December began, Max could not stop thinking about Brody calling him 'Zan'. It perturbed him. However, he did not mention it to any of his friends. Eventually, Max even convinced himself that he was being overly sensitive.

The UFO Center was closed and boarded up in the first week of December. Only Max noticed or cared. Everyone else was in a hurry to get ready for the Christmas holidays. That seemed very strange to Max because the UFO Center had been a large moneymaker for the small town. Even stranger to Max was the fact that Brody Davis had left the town and no one seemed to care or know where he had gone. A few joked that the aliens finally took him. Secretly, that annoyed Max, but he would smile and nod. He was too polite and too scared to say anything.

Part III

It was a week before Christmas. Max had finally pushed the event of the UFO Center to the back of his head. What he received when he came home from school one afternoon completely shocked him. There was a letter sitting on the kitchen counter, addressed to him in neat, petite lettering. Swiping it from the counter, he went to his room. Max sat down on his bed and opened the letter.

It was a single piece of paper that was neatly folded and creased. He turned it over in his hands for a moment and then opened it.

Dear Max,

Something has gone terribly wrong. My host body has become terminally ill with his cancer while I entered him. I cannot leave. In addition, he has become aware of my presence, or at least he knows what is going on and where he is. I am keeping him alive. However, I don't know how long I will be able to do so. If he dies, then I die and you will be in terrible danger. You must come to Mercy Hospital as soon as you receive this letter. The future is in your hands.

Larek

He stared in disbelief at the letter he had just recived. Max felt sick just thinking about what had happened before getting this letter. The realization of why Brody had closed the UFO Center came to him as if a sack of bricks had hit him.

Max gulped and closed his eyes. The face of Brody Davis filled his vision. It was pale, thin – sickly. Brody had been ill with cancer that day; that had been what was wrong with him. Max had been too self-absorbed with his own worries about his secret to realize it at that moment. Max lowered his head into his hands as a sob escaped his lips.

Part IV

Max pulled into the parking lot. He stared up at the stark limestone building. In the night, it was like a beacon. The place was amazing – impressive. Max felt very small in its presence.

It had been two days since he had gotten the letter. Max had been trying to figure out what to do – if he should go or not. Of course, Max had decided to go.

The drive had been over an hour and a half. He was stiff and tired, but determined. Stretching his legs, he ran out of the parking lot and to the stairs. Opening the door, he took the flight of stairs two at a time. Reaching the lobby, he stopped to breathe before asking the nurse where Brody Davis was.

"He's five flights up in Room 251. Don't stay very long. Mr. Davis needs his rest," the woman said. She pushed her horn-rimmed glasses up her nose as she stared at him.

Max smiled at her. "Thank-you, nurse…Gables," Max said reading the nametag, "Have a good evening."

The woman nodded. "You to," she said as she looked at the computer. The nurse began typing some orders as Max left.

He went to the staircase and opened the door. He raced up the steps and soon found himself in oncology. Quietly, he entered the dim, yet cheerfully painted corridors. With determination, Max strode down the hall and passed the nurses station without anyone noticing. With eyes cast upwards, he studied the numbers. He stopped when he reached the last room. Hanging above the door was a lighted sign that said '251'.

The door was ajar, so Max just pushed it open as he entered. When in the room, Max closed the door behind him and then jammed a chair under the door handle. Making sure the door was secure, Max then looked for the surveillance camera. Max did not want to be caught. If he were found, then it would be the end for him and his friends.

"Max," whispered a weak voice behind him. The said person turned and looked at the bed. Brody Davis lay in the messed up bed with an IV in one arm. He wore plaid lounge pants and a navy shirt with a light blue bathrobe. His eyes were sunken and he was grayish. "What are you doing here," Brody asked.

Max did not answer him at first. He was too preoccupied with finding the surveillance camera to answer. He looked around the room and found the security camera. Seeing it in a far corner, Max raised his hand and a bolt of energy short from his hand, short circuiting the camera. The alien breathed in heavily and sweat beaded on his forehead. He sat down in one of the chairs as he tried to regain his strength.

"What did you do? What are you," Brody asked. There was a slight hint of fear an danger in his voice. Larek was not showing himself and Max wished he would.

Max looked at Brody. His brow was creased. "I short circuited the camera. I've come to help…to heal you. Do you remember how Sydney and all those kids got miraculously well? That was me. I-I can heal," Max explained, "I don't know how I can, besides the fact that I'm not human. But, I can. You can't tell a soul Brody. Promise me."

"Will I live," Brody asked. When Max nodded, Brody smiled. "I won't. Knowing there are aliens out there is enough for me."

Max chuckled as he smiled. The young man patted Brody on the shoulder. "Lay still. I am going to search your body for the cancer and then heal it," Max explained as he hovered his hands over his abdomen. Max focused on Brody's face as he searched for the cancer. Receiving a connection, Max put all of his energy into shrinking the cancer. Slowly, Max could feel the cancer slowly shrink into nothingness and the connection was broke.

"Are you OK," Brody asked. Worry tainted his voice. He looked up at Max with clear eyes.

"Yeah I am," Max replied weakly as he wiped the sweat away.

"Thank-you," Brody said, "You probably should go now. I wouldn't want you to get into trouble."

Max nodded. He smiled at Brody and then removing the chair, left the room and the hospital. Going to his car, he sat down. A tired smile was on his face. Max felt good about using his powers for the first time in a long time. It began to snow as he started home and Max took that to be a good omen.


End file.
